Srinagar: The minimum temperature at most places in Kashmir decreased owing to fresh snowfall and rains across the Valley, with the MeT department predicting more wet spells in the coming days.

"A fresh western disturbance would affect Jammu and Kashmir from February 23 evening. The wet spells would continue till that and there would be significant increase in precipitation till February 25," a MeT department spokesperson said here.

He said the tourist resorts of Gulmarg and Pahalgam as well as Qazigund and Kupwara towns and most of the places in the higher reaches of Kashmir received fresh snowfall today, while other parts of the Valley received intermittent rains for the fifth consecutive day.

"Around one foot of fresh snow accumulated in Gulmarg during the night, while Pahalgam recorded 7 cm of fresh snowfall," he said.

He said the minimum temperature in Gulmarg, the famous ski-resort in north Kashmir and the star attraction for tourists especially skiers from abroad, settled at minus 3 degrees Celsius ? up by over a degree from minus 4.4 degrees Celsius yesterday.

The mercury in Pahalgam hill resort in south which serves as the base camp for the annual Amarnath yatra settled at a low of minus 0.6 degree Celsius ? again over a degree up from minus 1.8 degrees Celsius yesterday, the spokesman said.

Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir received 25 mm of rainfall in the night and the city recorded a low of 0.4 degree Celsius - down by nearly four degrees from 4 degrees Celsius the previous night, he said.

Qazigund on Srinagar-Jammu National Highway received 15 cm of snow till 8:30 AM and recorded a low of 0.4 degree Celsius ? a decrease of nearly three degrees from 3.2 degrees Celsius the previous night, the spokesman said.

He said Kokernag, also in south Kashmir recorded the

minimum temperature of minus 0.9 degrees Celsius, over two degrees down from 2.5 degrees Celsius yesterday and received 12 cm of snow.

The mercury in Kupwara, in north Kashmir settled at a low of 0.8 degree Celsius compared to 1.1 degrees Celsius the previous night, the spokesman said, adding the town received 21.5 mm of rainfall during the night.

Leh, the frontier town in Ladakh region recorded a drop of nearly three degrees in the minimum temperature as the mercury there settled at a low of minus 5.9 degrees Celsius compared to minus 3.1 degrees Celsius the previous night, he said.

He said the nearby Kargil town registered the minimum temperature of minus 7.8 degrees Celsius as against minus 8.6 degrees Celsius yesterday.

Kargil was the coldest recorded place in Jammu and Kashmir, he added.

In view of the weather prediction, Divisional Commissioner Kashmir has issued an avalanche warning in the avalanche-prone areas of Bandipora, Kupwara and Kargil districts of Kashmir division.

People have been advised not to venture out in avalanche prone areas and temporarily evacuate those locations which are under the fall line of avalanches, an official spokesman said.

Meanwhile, the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway has been closed for traffic today and only those vehicles stranded yesterday are being allowed to ply, a Traffic Control Room official here said.